Yulia Barnes, founder and managing partner of boutique Mayfair law firm, Barnes Law, has joined the Two Chicks ‘Future Female Entrepreneur’ scheme to help inspire the next generation of talented female lawyers.
Yulia, who founded Barnes Law in 2019, is providing mentorship to a number of graduate lawyers, helping them navigate the early stages of their careers and realise their true potential in the field.
The Future Female Entrepreneur scheme was launched by food business, Two Chicks, in 2022, to support entrepreneurial young women by helping them build confidence and establish connections.
It gives them the opportunity to spend a day with an established female entrepreneur who has created her own business, and applicants receive guidance on future goals and insight into creating and running a business.
Yulia Barnes, founder and managing partner of Barnes Law, said: “The most recent data collected by the Solicitors Regulation Authority [SRA] in 2021 shows there is a still significant underrepresentation of women at senior levels in the law profession, with only 35% of partners being female.
“I’m therefore proud to be a part of the Two Chicks Future Female Entrepreneur scheme to champion young women in the legal industry and help them progress on their career paths.
“I know from personal experience the challenges women can face in the legal profession. I hope that by participating in the scheme, I can play my part in paving the way to true equality in the practice.”
Lucy Wooldridge, mentee, final year student of LLB Law at Cardiff University and founder of Lolli Lifting, said: “Having witnessed first-hand that only a minority of women are sat in high positions at many law firms, as men continue to dominate the top roles, I truly admire Yulia as founder and leader of Barnes Law.
“As a law student going into my final year at university, I feel very empowered and motivated by Yulia’s journey, to know that I too can reach high positions through working hard and dedicating my mind to it.”
Situated in the heart of Mayfair, Barnes Law is a leading commercial and corporate law practice, which works closely with businesses of all sizes – from multi-national corporations through to ambitious and fast-growing start-ups – with a key specialism in litigation and property law.